The currently unfolding Egghead arc in Eiichiro Oda’s long-running One Piece manga has garnered much praise for how it flips the script on various storylines and arcs that came before it.
While there are certainly narrative threads that connect the Egghead arc to more recent events like the Wano arc, observant fans have picked up on an ingenious inversion specifically related to the battles that took place on the roof in Wano.
In that iconic section dubbed “Roof Piece,” Roronoa Zoro stood stalwartly beside Luffy as his right-hand man, supporting him in the fight against Kaido and showcasing immense strength.
Now, Oda seems to be setting up a mirrored moment with Sanji playing that crucial role for Luffy as events come to a head on Egghead.
Given the divisive discourse amongst fans regarding Sanji’s power scaling, this would be a redemptive moment for the character while also serving as a clever flip of the intense roof fights.
Oda continues to showcase immense creativity in weaving together disparate story arcs in unexpected yet meaningful ways.
Zoro and Sanji’s Pivotal Moments in the Egghead Arc
The latest chapter of Eiichiro Oda’s epic One Piece manga has set the stage for a pivotal role reversal between crewmates Roronoa Zoro and Sanji.
With Zoro still embroiled in an intense duel against Rob Lucci, he will likely miss out on joining Luffy in the impending confrontations with Admiral Kizaru and the formidable Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.
However, Oda ingeniously mirrors a key moment from Wano by having Sanji step up to support Luffy instead, just as Zoro did against Kaido.
By having Sanji fill the shoes of Zoro from that iconic “Roof Piece” scene, Oda accomplishes several narrative goals.
Firstly, it gives Sanji an opportunity for meaningful development and combat on the level that Zoro received in Wano.
This should delight certain segments of the fandom who debate Sanji’s power scaling. Additionally, it further cements the dynamic of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji as the Monster Trio and the dominant fighting force of the crew.
Just as they each face one of the strongest enemies on Egghead now, they will fight together when the diabolical Saint Saturn inevitably returns for revenge on Luffy.
This mirroring of arcs emphasizes that both Zoro and Sanji can capably serve as Luffy’s right hand in combat. And while Jinbe’s bounty may be slightly higher, Sanji reaffirms his position as the third strongest Straw Hat here.
As Egghead reaches its crescendo, Oda once again masterfully weaves connections between far-flung storylines to set up engaging inversions and parallels.
Eiichiro Oda’s masterful writing in the Egghead arc, especially regarding the parallels between crewmates Zoro and Sanji, has rightfully earned effusive praise from the One Piece fandom.
Many are applauding how Oda is giving the same spotlight and combat opportunities to both Zoro and Sanji as they support protagonist Luffy in key moments.
Fans are using this attention to detail as evidence of Oda’s excellent planning and forethought in constructing the layered Egghead storyline thus far.
Analyzing deeper, some are also speculating on Oda’s specific motivations for showcasing Zoro in Wano but switching to Sanji for a mirrored scene here.
While most fans are celebrating this chance for both badass fighters to shine, a minority have expressed slight reservations. This likely stems from fans having personal preferences between the two characters.
However, on the whole, Oda continues to masterfully handle the monster trio of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji in ways that parallel yet invert their journeys.
By tracking complex character arcs across hundreds of chapters, Oda rewards long-time fans with clever parallels and attention to detail. Both allies of Luffy have now enjoyed their time standing with their captain against the strongest foes.
As the saga hurtles towards its final chapters, Oda’s intricate writing and inversion of key scenes continue to earn acclaim.
More About One Piece
Eiichiro Oda’s wildly popular manga epic One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a young man who has gained extraordinary rubber-like abilities after eating a Devil Fruit.
Inspired by his idol the previous Pirate King Gold Roger, fun-loving risk-taker Luffy sets out to gather a crew and locate Roger’s ultimate treasure, the mythical “One Piece,” in order to succeed Roger as the next Pirate King.
In the East Blue Sea, Luffy begins assembling his zany band of pirates, known as the Straw Hat Pirates. First joining is Roronoa Zoro, a stern master swordsman with epic skill.
They later add navigator and thief Nami, cowardly liar sniper Usopp, and flirtatious yet chivalrous cook Sanji to their ranks.
The crew embarks aboard the ship Going Merry, later trading up to the Thousand Sunny, as they encounter both friend and foe alike.
